Flight Safety Information
June 9, 2014 - No. 116
In This Issue
Taliban behind brazen attack on Pakistan airport
Families Attempt to Raise Reward for Missing Jet
Do Pilots Need More Sleep Than Truckers? The Fight Over Federal Rest Rules
Exclusive: Air India crew writes to DGCA over bizarre SOPs for emergency evacuation
Will Airlines Crack Down on Unruly Passengers?
PRISM SMS
Florida Tech Launches New Graduate Aviation Degree
Upcoming Events
Taliban behind brazen attack on Pakistan airport
Gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal at Pakistan's busiest airport Sunday
with machine guns and a rocket launcher during a five-hour siege that killed 18 people as
explosions echoed into the night, officials said.
LAHORE, Pakistan - The Taliban claimed responsibility for a brazen siege on Karachi's Jinnah International
Airport overnight Monday that left dozens dead, saying the attack was in retaliation for drone strikes on
villages in Pakistan's troubled northwest border region.
The militant group vowed to continue their campaign.
"This is just the beginning," Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told
the Express Tribune, a Pakistani daily.
The attack began late overnight Monday after 10 men armed with machine guns, grenades and rocket
launchers stormed the busy airport at a terminal for cargo and VIP passengers, known as the old airport,
military officials said. Some of the attackers were wearing suicide vests, with at least one blowing himself
up as law enforcement approached.
Some of the attackers, all of whom were killed by special army commandos, had been disguised as airport
security personnel, said Rizwan Akhtar, the chief of Pakistan's elite paramilitary Rangers. At least 10
members of the security forces were also killed, as was a flight engineer for the country's state airline,
Pakistan International Airlines. The Associated Press reported that 28 people died in the rampage including
the 10 attackers.
Flights were suspended and the airport was shut temporarily as plumes of smoke rose from the terminal.
Military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said the airport will resume operations Monday.
Gunmen stormed an airport terminal used for VIPs and cargo in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday night, killing
five people and wounding another, officials said. (June 8) AP
The Pakistan Taliban and other associated militant groups, who in the last years have increased their
presence in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city and its main commercial hub, said the attack was also in
retaliation for a U.S. drone strike that killed Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud late last year.
The airport attack closely coincides with a coordinated suicide bombing in the Baluchistan Province in
which 23 Shiite Muslims were reported killed after returning from a pilgrimage from Iran, which the
province borders. The Taliban is also being blamed for an attack on a military complex near the Rawalpindi
district in northern Pakistan
While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif started a tentative peace process with the Taliban earlier this year,
talks have broken down. Meanwhile, the government has resumed airstrikes against the militants in the
North Waziristan area.
Meanwhile, locals in Karachi and elsewhere said the attacks highlight the poor security situation in the
country and the ineffectiveness of the government to contain militants.
"One thinks that the airport is a place where you can feel safe and secure but unfortunately it is as unsafe
as the roads of Karachi - we are not safe anywhere in Karachi - not even in our homes," said Usama
Ahmed, 26, of Karachi.
"We all are the victims of yesterday's event, we all have lost close ones ... or have family friends who have
lost relatives."
"The government and the military should be ashamed of itself, what excuse can you give for such a
security lapse," added Sania Iqra, 31, of Karachi. "And this isn't the first time we have seen this in
Karachi, even so-called red zones are not safe, so what exactly is safe now?"
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/06/09/pakistan-airport-attack/10220535/
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Families Attempt to Raise Reward for Missing Jet
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia June 9, 2014 (AP) - Relatives of five people on board the missing Malaysian
jetliner are trying to crowd source a $5 million reward for information about what happened to the plane.
The group has started a campaign on the fundraising website Indiegogo.
Just under 24 hours after it launched, the campaign had raised just over $5,000.
The group says it "wants to provide a substantial incentive for anyone who knows the truth to come
forward."
The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8 flying from Malaysia to China.
A team of experts says satellite transmissions from the plane show the flight ended somewhere in a large
patch of the southern Indian Ocean. Searchers have found nothing there, leading to continuing speculation
over its fate.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/families-attempt-raise-reward-missing-jet-24053050
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Do Pilots Need More Sleep Than Truckers? The Fight Over Federal Rest Rules
The people who drive large commercial trucks, fly cargo planes, and ferry millions of airline passengers are
all subject to federal rules governing how much they rest. The U.S. government insists all such rules are
guided by the science of sleep. Yet when Uncle Sam moves to enhance transport safety, it becomes clear
that the rest rules are very much influenced by whichever industry or worker group is most pinched by
government requirements.
Cargo pilots at FedEx (FDX) and United Parcel Service (UPS), for example, are not subject to rest rules
that took effect in January for passenger pilots-an exemption that pilots unions call the "cargo carve-out."
The Independent Pilots Association, which represents 2,600 UPS pilots, has sued the Federal Aviation
Administration over the matter. The IPA and other pilot groups are pressing Congress to impose the same
rest standard for cargo aviators, a proposal opposed by UPS and FedEx.
"This (rule) isn't pulled out of nowhere, this is based on a lot of science," says Sean Cassidy, safety
coordinator for the largest U.S. pilots union, the Air Line Pilots Association, and a captain with Alaska
Airlines (ALK). Passenger airlines have avoided that conflict, satisfied by the changes for which they
lobbied when the rules were being drafted.
The latest fight over employee rest is taking place in the commercial trucking industry, which has
complained to Congress about the burdens of federal rules that limit truckers' work weeks to 70 hours.
The rules imposed last summer also require a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a driving
shift.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the changes will prevent 1,400 traffic
accidents and save 19 lives each year. Fatal truck crashes rose to 3,921 in 2012, increasing for a fourth
straight year, according to Department of Transportation data (PDF). Deaths remain below the 4,245
recorded in 2008, when the recession curbed freight traffic. About 75 percent of fatal accidents involved
the largest trucks-over 33,000 pounds.
An amendment that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, sponsored by Senator
Susan Collins (R-Me.) would restore the industry's prior 82-hour work week. The measure is attached to a
funding bill for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is expected to be debated by
the full Senate later this month.
"I'm sure Senator Collins had pressure from the trucking industry to do it," says Daphne Izer, of Lisbon,
Me., who started Parents Against Tired Truckers two decades ago, after her son and three of his friends
were killed by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. Izer expects the trucking industry to succeed in rolling
back the rest rules.
Freight haulers are most upset about truckers being required to take a 34-hour break, including no driving
from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on two consecutive days. "This regulation dumps concentrated amounts of
commercial traffic onto the highway system at 5:01 a.m. Monday morning, when people are trying to get
to their offices and their businesses ... and deliver children to schools," says Phil Byrd, chairman of the
American Trucking Associations and president and chief executive of Bulldog Hiway Express in Charleston,
S.C.
The 34-hour period "restarts" the drivers' work weeks, and the ATA contends that many drivers are not
available on normal business days, when most companies want their freight moved. The restart kicks in
only when a trucker has hit the legal limit of 70 hours' driving in eight days, or 60 hours in seven days.
Trucking companies complain that the DOT rules are not based on sound science and that they contribute
to highway congestion.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-06/must-pilots-sleep-more-than-truckers-federal-rest-
rules-at-risk
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Exclusive: Air India crew writes to DGCA over bizarre SOPs for emergency evacuation
Let's put it plain and simple. Air India is putting the lives of passengers, its crew on board and the property
worth thousands of crores in danger. And it seems that the national carrier is getting able support from the
Aviation regulator - DGCA. That the American regulator took a strong exception on our safety standards
and downgraded us is a story known to all.
Headlines Today has accessed documents that show how the basic parameters of passenger safety and
emergency rules for crew are being brazenly flouted by the national carrier on its international and
domestic sector. What's even more shocking is the bizarre drill that the DGCA expects the crew to follow in
case of an emergency.
The new SOPs put in place by the DGCA has angered the crew community and they have written a stinging
letter to the DGCA. We get you an entire low down of what the national carrier is upto, the dictates of the
DGCA and what all of this could ultimately lead to...
Picture for representational purpose only.
PTIDGCA issued this latest SOP (Standard Operating procedure) on 3rd June 2014. The latest SOP expects
a single crew to handle two emergency exit doors at the same time and even manage the passengers at
both the doors. Bizarre as it may sound but this is how the national carrier is expected to react in case of
an emergency. Just how the crew is supposed to change positions so quickly and manage nervous
passengers in emergency situations at two different gates is anybody's guess. But that's how the things
stand and the SOP expects the crew to do just the same. No wonder then the crew is all baffled at this
latest SOP and has shot back at the DGCA.
Headlines Today is in the exclusive possession of the letter written by the crew members to the DGCA.
Here are the contents that stand out:
The DGCA Air Safety Officer/s and the Nodal Officers are alien to the concept/principles of Flight Safety
and are making a mockery of basic flight safety procedures vindicating our stand that they are filling the
Indian Skies with "FLYING COFFINS".
...In the said Standard Operating Procedures it can be seen that the Cabin Crew after opening one door in
an emergency are to leave that door unattended/ unmanned and then run to the other door or opposite
door to open the same. Then they would be concentrating on evacuation occurring from both doors. The
basic principle followed, is to open the door in an emergency, one crew is to observe the outside conditions
and the second to open the door whilst the first crew is guiding the passengers, but now with the new SOP
the single crew at the one door after opening it, will have to leave the passengers to fend for themselves
and have to jump over passengers who have made a beeline to the said door for evacuation and then
open the other door. In the given emergency circumstances this is not only humanly impossible but will
require the training of a trapeze artist or Spider Man or has to be born a monkey to jump over.
In light of the above, we kindly request you to include the trapeze training also in the curriculum of the
Flight Safety Training and modify the CAR accordingly. Sadly the only difference between the circus and an
aircraft now is that in circus the fatalities are limited to the artists as others only view the performance, in
here the passengers are a part of it, whose lives the cabin Crew are trained to protect.
Air India flies Boeing 777 - 300 (ER) and Boeing 787, Airbus 330 in the international long range sector.
In the domestic sector it flies with Airbus 319, Airbus 320 and Airbus 321
So here are some of the configurations:
Boeing 787:
Number of floor level exits = 8
Number of passengers = 254
AI flying to = London, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Dubai.
Total Crew needed =12, Followed By AI = 9, Diluted to 7
For Sydney and Melbourne
Crew requirement = 19, Followed by AI = 12, Diluted to = 9
Boeing 777-300 (ER)
Number of floor level exits = 10
Number of passengers = 342
AI flying to = New York and Chicago, New Jersey
Total crew needed = 22, followed by AI = 16, Diluted to = 11
So this is the ground reality. When a crew has been diluted to the minimum and new SOPs expecting even
bizarre exercises from the crew there is bound to be chaos.
On November 15, 2013, Headlines Today had broken the story on how a door of a Boeing plane opened
mid air leaving the passengers shell shocked and praying for their lives. Two crew members had to pull
and the door manually before the plane made an emergency landing. In a scenario of crew crunch imagine
what would happen. What's even more shocking is the fact that the DGCA has been recognizing the
irregularities committed by AI warning it of action and then maintaining quiet ultimately changing its own
rules.
In its letter to Air India dated 14/01/2011 DGCA stated.
"As per safety requirement while deploying the cabin crew all the doors of the aircraft be manned. In an
event they are not able to do so then they are required to declare the unmanned doors as inoperative..."
In its letter to Air India dated 18/03/2011 DGCA stated.
"It has come to the notice of DGCA that AI is regularly exceeding FDTL, duty time and crew compliment...
on the grounds that they have received special compensation from DGCA. In some cases on scrutiny it has
been seen that no dispensation of any kind or special permission had been made available by this office.
This is a serious matter which concerns air safety. Action will be initiated against the company as well as
concerned individuals in the event of any violation."
So what has changed over the months to reduce the crew size and put added pressure on them is beyond
comprehension. AICCA, Air India's Crew Association says, "we have no idea on this. DGCA makes rules
and then breaks its own rules. We are never consulted and those who protest are terminated. We are
raising issue because this is going to lead to some disaster in the near future."
Air India did not reply to the email query that was sent to them. The call went unanswered and no reply
was given via SMS.
DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar did not take calls. We messaged him as well but the DGCA chief did not reply.
Aviation Experts assert that cabin crew are not appointed to just serve food to the passengers. Their most
crucial task is passenger safety during an emergency situation. The issues have remained unresolved for
years now and this is a concern from the passenger safety point of view.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/air-india-crew-writes-to-dgca-over-bizarre-sops-for-emergency-
landing/1/365615.html
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Will Airlines Crack Down on Unruly Passengers?
In 2013, the number of incidents of unruly passenger behavior voluntarily reported to the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) by airlines reached some 8,000 cases, IATA reports.
Intoxication, often resulting from alcohol already consumed before boarding, ranks high among factors
linked to these incidents, IATA said. Other causes include irritation with another passenger's behavior,
frustration with rules such as smoking prohibitions or use of electronic devices or emotional triggers
originating prior to flight.
IATA called for action by the industry and government during IATA's 70th Annual General Meeting (AGM)
and unanimously adopted a resolution that calls for action.
Reflecting the broad number of factors associated with unruly behavior, the Resolution's core principles on
unruly passengers take a wide-ranging approach to the issue, IATA said.
IATA wants a balanced package of measures to effectively deter and manage the "significant problem of
unruly air passenger behavior." IATA said bad behavior includes committing physical assault, disturbing
good order on board or failing to follow lawful crew instructions.
"This resolution confirms the determination of airlines to defend the rights of their passengers and crew.
Everybody on board is entitled to enjoy a journey free from abusive or other unacceptable behavior. Many
airlines have trained both ground staff and cabin crew in procedures not only to manage incidents of
unruly behavior but also in measures to prevent them. But a robust solution needs alignment among
airlines, airports and governments," said Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO.
IATA urged airlines to ensure that they have in place corporate policies and appropriate training programs
for cabin crew and ground staff to enable them to prevent or manage disruptive passenger behavior,
including at check-in, during security search and at the gate.
Governments and airlines must raise awareness of the consequences of unruly behavior and airports and
airport concessionaires such as bars and restaurants to implement procedures that could help prevent
unruly behavior on flights.
"Each incident of unruly behavior marks an unacceptable inconvenience to passengers and crew. A united
and balanced approach to the prevention and management of unruly passengers by governments and
industry is vital. Governments should adopt all the legal powers at their disposal to ensure unruly
passengers face the appropriate consequences for their actions. Airlines, airports, and others must work
together to implement the right procedures and train staff to respond effectively to such instances," said
Tyler.
Visit www.IATA.org
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/airline-policies/will-airlines-crack-down-unruly-passengers-46417
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Florida Tech Launches New Graduate Aviation Degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AVIATION MANAGEMENT
F.I.T. Aviation's training aircraft sit near the university's Emil Buehler Center for Aviation
Training and Research. (Florida Tech image)
BREVARD COUNTY * MELBOURNE - Florida Institute of Technology is launching a new online graduate
degree program in Fall 2014 that is designed for adult working professionals in public, private or military
aviation-related professions where advanced, graduate-level knowledge of aviation management concepts
is a key to success.
The Aviation Management degree prepares individuals for advanced leadership positions in the public,
private, or military aviation sectors through specific skills and competencies training in aviation
management. (Florida Tech image)
The new degree, Master of Science in Aviation - Aviation Management, is offered by Florida Tech's College
of Aeronautics and is a companion degree to the college's Master's in Aviation Safety and Master's in
Human Factors in Aeronautics degrees, which are also available online.
The Aviation Management degree prepares individuals for advanced leadership positions in the public,
private, or military aviation sectors through specific skills and competencies training in aviation
management.
People interested in a wide range of aviation management applications, including airport managers, airport
operations officers, and those in corporate investigative positions in government or private organizations,
would find this degree meaningful.
The program benefits of this 30-credit, non-thesis program include its online convenience and
access to experienced, professional faculty, said Korhan Oyman, dean of the College of Aeronautics.
"This online master's degree provides an outstanding opportunity for aviation professionals worldwide to
benefit from Florida Tech's superior online delivery expertise and unsurpassed aviation management
curricula," Oyman said.
For information on admission requirements and curriculum information, please visit fit.edu/programs and
click on "Aviation-Aviation Management Online."
For information about graduation admissions, please contact the Florida Tech Graduate Admissions Office
of Online Learning at gradadm-olocp@fit.edu or by calling 321-674-8271. For academic program
information, please visit the College of Aeronautics at coa.fit.edu or call 321-674-8120.
http://spacecoastdaily.com/2014/06/florida-tech-launches-new-graduate-aviation-degree/
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Upcoming Events:
Gulf Flight Safety Council
Doha, Qatar 22nd of June 2014
membership@gfsc.aero
6th Annual Aviation Human Factors & SMS Seminar
June 24th & 25th 2014
Dallas, TX
www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1384474
21st Century Pilot Reliability Certification Workshop
June 30th and July 1st, 2014
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07605
Please contact Kacy Schwartz
kacy@convergentperformance.com
719-481-0530
International System Safety Society Annual Symposium
04-08AUG2014 - St. Louis, MO
http://issc2014.system-safety.org
Curt Lewis